In the wake of the recent tragedy involving cruise ship, Costa Concordia, it is easy to understand why people may be put off booking cruise holidays. With the death count rising to fifteen on Monday and with several people still missing, the concept of embarking on such a trip could be galling.

However, it is important to remember that the accident was seemingly caused by poor decision making on the part of the captain, and not a lack of safety on the ship itself. Anyone considering a cruise holiday should rest assured that tight safety measures are in place on all liners and it is likely that these will be reviewed following the Costa Concordia disaster. For example, ships must carry out a lifeboat drill within 24 hours of passengers boarding; in actual fact this is normally done before the boat even sets sail. If passengers are joining at several ports, the drill must be carried out each time.

All cruise ships must also adhere to regulations imposed by the International Maritime Agency. This United Nations agency takes charges of the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) regulations, which were introduced almost one hundred years ago as a result of the Titanic tragedy. Of course, the regulations have been updated many times since their implementation and include procedures such as a check system similar to that carried out by airline pilots prior to departure.

Regulations governing cruise ships also cover the set amount of time during which the ship must be fully evacuated provision of lifeboats and numerous other rules. While actual maritime law may take some time to be updated, it is likely that the individual cruise companies may introduced their own, stricter procedures as a result of the recent accident. It is also worth bearing in mind that all of the ship’s crew will have undertaken rigorous training prior to taking up their positions.

The general feeling within the industry is that those who previously enjoyed cruise holidays will not be deterred by recent events. While confidence amongst the general public will need to be boosted, it is not expected to have a detrimental effect on cruise holidays overall.

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